TOURISM: AMON AMARTH, EYEHATEGOD, FIELDS OF ELYSIUM

I’m slowly moving back into what I normally do at this site after more than a week of living in the world of Maryland Deathfest, first by attending it and then by re-living the experience in NCS posts. And part of what I do is attempt to highlight news items of interest. I’m a bit late featuring the three collected here, but I think they’re worth mentioning, even if tardily.

AMON AMARTH

Beginning in September and running into November, Sweden’s Amon Amarth will be touring the US and Canada. Sadly, they will only have the Viking ship on stage at the October 18 New York City (Manhattan)  date, which is a show that’s part of Decibel magazine’s 10th anniversary celebrations. At that show, the UK’s Vallenfyre will also be appearing.  I would give your left arm to see that show.

Except for that New York City event, Skeletonwitch will also be a part of this tour, which makes it doubly enticing. Sabaton will be on the tour as well. However, although Vallenfyre will be playing the Manhattan date in place of Skeletonwitch, Skeletonwitch and Evoken will be playing later that same night at St Vitus Bar in Brooklyn; that show is also part of the Decibel anniversary festivities. I would give your right arm to see that one.

Here are all the tour dates:

AMON AMARTH
w/ Sabaton, Skeletonwitch

9/25/2014 Riverside Municipal Auditorium – Riverside, CA
9/26/2014 The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA
9/27/2014 Ace of Spades – Sacramento, CA
9/29/2014 Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
9/30/2014 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
10/01/2014 Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
10/03/2014 Union Hall – Edmonton, AB
10/04/2014 Flames Central – Calgary, AB
10/05/2014 Louis’ Pub – Saskatoon, SK
10/06/2014 The Garrick – Winnipeg, MB
10/07/2014 Crocks – Thunder Bay, ON
10/10/2014 The Sound Academy – Toronto, ON
10/11/2014 Metropolis – Montreal, QC
10/12/2014 Imperial – Quebec City, QC
10/14/2014 Higher Ground – Burlington, VT
10/15/2014 Webster Theatre – Hartford, CT
10/17/2014 Upstate Concert Hall – Albany, NY
10/18/2014 Best Buy Theatre – New York , NY *
10/19/2014 Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH
10/21/2014 Track 29 -Chattanooga, TN
10/22/2014 Bijou Theater -Knoxville, TN
10/24/2014 The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
10/25/2014 Freebird – Jacksonville, FL
10/26/2014 Iron City – Birmingham, AL
10/27/2014 The Civic – New Orleans, LA
10/29/2014 The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
10/30/2014 Mojoes – Jolie, IL
10/31/2014 Royal Oak – Detroit, MI
11/01/2014 The Eagles Club – Milwaukee, WI
11/02/2014 Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA
11/04/2014 Bourbon Stree – Lincoln, NE
11/05/2014 Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK
11/07/2014 Fun Fun Fun Fest – Austin, TX
11/08/2014 Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX
11/09/2014 Club XS – Tucson, AZ
* no Skeletonwitch

 

 

EYEHATEGOD

Two days ago NOLA’s Eyehategod began a month-long US tour in the wake of their new album release, which just happened yesterday in North America. For my money, this is one of those tours where the support acts justify attending regardless of who is at the head of the ticket — because the supporting bands are Ringworm and Enabler.

I missed Enabler’s set at MDF, but my brother BadWolf did not, since he is deeply in lust with Enabler’s new album as well as the band’s bass player.  He said they destroyed.

These are the dates:

EYEHATEGOD w/ Ringworm, Enabler:

5/28/2014 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA [tickets]
5/29/2014 Drunk Horse – Fayetteville, NC [tickets]
5/30/2014 Chop Shop – Charlotte NC [tickets]
5/31/2014 611 – Frederick, MD [tickets]
6/01/2014 Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA [tickets]
6/02/2014 Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, PA [tickets]
6/03/2014 Strange Matter – Richmond, VA [tickets]
6/04/2014 American Legion Post 80 – Binghamton, NY [tickets]
6/05/2014 Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA [tickets]
6/06/2014 Even Flow – Long Island, NY [tickets]
6/07/2014 Europa – Brooklyn, NY [tickets]
6/08/2014 Basement Transmissions – Erie, PA [tickets]
6/09/2014 Bug Jar – Rochester, NY [tickets]
6/10/2014 Loving Touch – Detroit, MI [tickets]
6/11/2014 Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH [tickets]
6/12/2014 Birdy’s – Indianapolis, IN [tickets]
6/13/2014 Cobra Lounge – Chicago, IL [tickets]
6/14/2014 Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI [tickets]
6/15/2014 Bottom End Bar – Appleton, WI [tickets]
6/16/2014 Triple Rock – Minneapolis, MN [tickets]
6/17/2014 Diamond Pub – Louisville, KY [tickets]
6/18/2014 Fubar – St. Louis, MO [tickets]
6/19/2014 Hi Tone – Memphis, TN [tickets]
6/20/2014 Southport – New Orleans, LA [tickets]
6/21/2014 Dollhouse – Savannah, GA [tickets]
6/22/2014 Orpheum – Tampa, FL [tickets]
6/23/2014 Looseys – Gainesville, FL [tickets]
6/24/2014 Zydeco – Birmingham, AL [tickets]
6/25/2014 The Handlebar – Pensacola, FL [tickets]

 

 

 

(Austin Weber provides the introduction to the final tour of this post, along with some music.)

The future is robots, and further loss of humanity and civilized behavior. If you want a glimpse of what’s to come, make sure to witness Fields Of Elysium this summer on tour. I have previously discussed their 2012 EP, Capax Universi, here. But for those not in the know, these guys offer a mind-bending configuration of extreme deathgrind littered with jazz and exploding in insane tapping, hyper-rabid melodies, and swarming sweeps.

The storms they create are spawned from a desire to ratchet up the intensity over and over, then cool down to confuse you, and then re-fire the engine to a level twice as vitriolic and demented. This is death metal turned inside out, the sonic equivalent of being expelled from a blender, leaving you torn to pieces from grinding gears and blades that cut their targets with precision.

This is a mechanical entity crafted by capable humans. If they are playing anywhere near you, I suggest you go. Their Midwest Invasion tour begins this week, with their tourmates consisting of deathcore tyrants Eat A Helicopter and Astringency from Plainview, Texas.

https://www.facebook.com/Fieldsofelysium
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/capax-universi-ep/id562950027